More information about Targhis' book what you can find on the website operaghost.ru which had been mentioned earlier. The Violinist's Gift is one of the three Phantom-books what were published in Russia, but I know the auothor of this book personally by mails and there are three stories in it.
The Violinist's Gift from Targhis
The first novel is titled The Lion and the Princess. This story tells about Erik's youth - he is only 19 years old - and it leads us to India of the mid XIXth century by the British East India Company. In this exciting novel there are many intereting characters like a Company's officer Jarvis Roberts nicknamed Lion who becomes the Erik's companion in this strange advanture. Another one is the beautiful Zoran who is the wife of one of followers of Kali and Platonic love of Jarvis. By the way we read about thecatgut made "magic" lasso what plays a special role in Leroux's novel, and about Kali's bloodthirsty followers: the thugs. This mission is not only dangerous for body but for the soul too, and the inhummanity of the world tests Erik's moral stregth.
The cover ilustrations by the author:
The Lion and the Princess and The Swan Castle...
...finally The Violinist's Gift
The story of The Swan Lake takes place at the court of Bavarian king Ludwig II. who is an avid fan of opera, and there are Persian Assassins who's following Erik since the events in Mazanderan mentioned by Leroux. The Opéra Garnier also has an important role.
The last novel's title is The Violinist's Gift, it tells about early meeting between Gustav Daaé, Christine's father, and Erik that leads to the born of the figure of the Angel of Music. This Angel has special meaning in many Phantom books and films - as in Englund horror movie - and in the Webber musical too. In the beginning of the story the young Erik teaches young Daaé to play the violin, and when they meet many years later Daaé gives his own instrument to Erik.
If this book is printed in English, the hungarian publishing houses will doscover it and then it will be Hungarian edition too.
Uwe Kröger as Joe Gillis
Targhis' other novel The Golden Bee is connected with the world of musicals because it was inspired by famous German musical singer, Uwe Kröger, who sang first the Dearh's (der Tod) role in Elisabeth, and had great success with other musical stage characters, such as Joe Gillis (Sunset Boulevard), Maxim de Winter (Rebecca) and Gomez Addams (Addams Family).
Illustration from The Golden Bee
In Targhis' opinion the original Phantom story is very inspiring - there are many people who think so too. Her favourite from the Phantom films is the silent movie of 1925 because it is most similar to the original Leroux novel. Like many fans, she isn't satisfied with the Webber musical movie version, and I have to agree with her the the filmmakers owe to the audience a great Phantom movie in Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula's or The Interviwe of the Vampire's style. She stresses the importance of the Susan Kay's book, but she thinks that the final part and the sexual relationship between Erik and Christine are a little bit extreme. For Targhis the Phantom story is mostly "about art, talent, obsession and limited possibilities".
The Beauty and the Beast have different faces:
Gary Oldman as Dracula and Antonio Banderas as Armand
Thargis' favourite Phantom singer are the Austrtalian Anthony Warlow - who played the title role in Jekyll and Hyde, his talent is shown very well the performance of The World Has Gone Insane song -, the Australian Ben Lewis - who is perfect in the Love Never Dies - and finally the Amerivan Hugh Panaro - who's got the perfect Phantom voice in Targhis opinion.
Anthony Warlow
Ben Lewis
Hugh Panaro
In addition to writing novels and poems and to drawing, Targhis also makes miniature statues of the well-knowd musical, movie or historic characters. There is no surprise that she has made Phantom figurines too.
"Music of the Night"
The example of this productive talented artist shows the the persistence can be profitable, even when the works are made for some smaller circle of audience. The reception of the novels and poems may meet some difficulties because they are in Russian, but the illustration and the statues can speak in universal language.
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